Time to Master Bake!

Nothing Says Thanksgiving Like Masterbaking - Amaretto Pumpkin Pie

2010-11-27T07:37:00.001-08:00

I wish I could find a pumpkin pie I liked. I thought for sure, this would be a great pie, I mean what's not to like? Pumpkin with amaretto, good. Amaretto cookie crust, good. Pralines on top, good. It should have hit the spot, satisfied that desire to find the perfect tasting pumpkin pie. Sadly, it wasn't. It was maybe the least popular pie of Thanksgiving. It was ok, the filling was good, but not great, the crust was not crispy enough. I probably needed to blind bake it longer, but it looked cooked when I took it out. Couldn't get the pralines right. All in all a miss, a recipe that can be forgotten. But it does look pretty, doesn't it?

Can I Really Keep Masterbaking? - Pear Cranberry Crumble Pie

2010-11-27T07:30:00.001-08:00

The problem is when you make 7 pies for Thanksgiving and you only have 8 guests, there are leftovers. You also have too many good options, so ranking them is hard. Had I made this pie as one of 2 pies, it would have been the belle of the ball. It is the age old problem of a small fish in a big pond - too many good fish.

That said, great pie. I enjoy a fruit pie, especially when it is not too juicy. As you can see, no goop in the bottom of the pie plate. It really held together well. And the crust? It called for a tablespoon of vinegar, and when I put it in, it smelled terrible. But fully baked, it was fantastic. Flaky and tasty. The pie filling was great, the pears were nice and sweet, the cranberries, tart contrast. And the crumble topping, best way to end a pie.

Another Triumph in Masterbaking - Chocolate Toffee Pecan Tart

2010-11-27T07:12:00.000-08:00

I wish I could have taken a picture that would have done this tart justice. It was a great addition to our Thanksgiving table. Not too sweet, the toffee was perfect consistency wise. I love tart crusts - short cut pastry is a tiny pleasure in life. I don't think there is a single thing I would change about this tart, the recipe as I followed it was fine by itself. (Note: 2nd place to the Toffee Apple Upside Down Pie - I think people like toffee!)

Masterbaking with Alcohol - Caribbean Sweet Potato Pie

2010-11-26T15:13:00.000-08:00

Alcohol makes everything better, well, almost always. This pie was not my favorite, it wasn't bad, but the rum I put in was overwhelming in terms of the overall flavor of the pie. The crust was yummy - gingerbread cookies, smashed up and mixed with butter. I would make the crust any time. The pie was good consistency wise, but next time, I will either do it with less rum, or potentially no rum at all. Maybe it needed Malibu, something more tropical to play off of the coconut milk that was added to it. I'll give it another go, maybe merge the crust with another sweet potato pie recipe I have that I love.

More Thanksgiving Masterbaking - Toffee Apple Upside Down Pie

2010-11-26T15:01:00.001-08:00

Yep, this is as amazing as it sounds. It was by far the house favorite, it got the most votes as the best pie of the evening. And there is nothing I would do to change it. Instead of using the recipe that came with the recipe, I substituted with an all-butter pie crust that I found in some magazine. OMG, so wonderful. So to make this pie, you put parchment paper in the bottom of a pie place, then you put the toffee (made from butter, brown sugar, and pecans) on top of that. Then you lay out the bottom pie crust. Apple filling comes next, then the other pie crust. Bake, and when it comes out of the oven, you flip it over so the toffee is on top. AMAZING! The filling is great, and the topping is awesome. And this crust really stood up to the pie filling. Two thumbs up!

Masterbaking for Two Days - Butterscotch Pie (Thanksgiving 2010)

2010-11-26T14:50:00.001-08:00

Ahhhh, Thanksgiving, time with friends and family, football, turkey, and of course, baking. For me, that meant baking 7 pies of the holiday. As it turns out, that would mean almost an entire pie for each of the guests we had at the table. I love pie, who doesn't LOVE pie? I like to experiment with new recipes, and this year was no exception - 5 of the 7 were new.

Butterscotch pie sounds weird, but it was very tasty. You either love or hate butterscotch in the first place, and this pie is packed with butterscotchy flavor. It was really creamy, and the crust was the tops. My friend Fitz didn't think it needed the meringue, I think it was ok, but might go with a whipped cream topping the next time I try this pie (yes, it will stay in the rotation).

OK, Enough Masterbaking Talk For Today - Chocolate, Coconut, and Almond Cookies (with Almond Joy pieces too!)

2010-09-28T19:02:00.000-07:00

I enjoy a fun cookie, and this was it. I had recently purchased the Coconut M&Ms and the Almond Joy pieces, thinking I would find a creative way to use them in my baking. The Coconut M&Ms, not so much, they had a very artificial taste to them. But the Almond Joy pieces, wonderful. Then all I had to do was find the right cookie . . . almond coconut cookies with chocolate chips? Perfect. I liked this cookie a whole lot. Not the most creative, not the most out of this world cookie, but a solid cookie, a cookie you can stand behind. I really like almonds and coconut and chocolate, so it was a great way to bring all of the flavors together.

Enough posting for today, when you masterbake on the weekends, and then fly 8 hours on Mondays, you end up tired. Nighty night!

Masterbake Me Up Some Goodness - Mud Pie Mojo Brownies

2010-09-28T18:49:00.001-07:00

A totally different brownie adventure than the Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar Jam Brownies I made for the Bake Off, but pretty impressive nonetheless. What's not to like . . . brownies stuffed with chopped Oreos and peanut butter chips. Then a chocolaty frosting with some espresso powder mixed in. All of the different flavors really came together to make a great cake like brownie. I enjoyed the bits and pieces inside the brownie, it doesn't sound like they would go well together, but was a nice treat. It was sweet, and big chocolate flavor to boot! Eat up!

Maybe The Best Masterbaking To Date - Fudgy Brownies with Homemade Strawberry Balsamic Vinegar Jam

2010-09-28T18:41:00.000-07:00

A picture is usually worth a thousand words, but this picture doesn't even come close to doing justice to these bad boys. I think of all of the items I master baked for the Bake Off, this was the best. The brownie was amazing by itself. Thin, moist, not too chocolaty, not too sweet, certainly not overpowering. And add to that this great homemade strawberry balsamic vinegar jam, and magic. A good brownie turned into an amazing brownie with a richness and depth and complexity of flavors. The balsamic vinegar added a subtle flavor, it brought out the strawberries and combined well with the brownies. A hit with everyone, stole the show of all of the things that I made.

Mmmmmmm (asterbaking) - Spice Cake with Caramelized Pears and Buttercream Frosting

2010-09-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Check out those luscious layers of cake and frosting goodness! I love layer cakes, even if I am unable to make them pretty, even if I am unable to frost them perfectly. Even if the layers are not perfectly level, it is all good, it is about how it tastes. So the cake itself was amazing, just the right amount of spices, I might do a bit more nutmeg the next time around, but other than that, great. The pears could have been more caramelized. I will for sure do that better the next time around. I think there was an issue with not enough heat to get a good caramelized pear. The worst part was the buttercream frosting. I didn't like the recipe at all, which included a soft ball of maple syrup (which was fun to make but not tasty), and this weird meringue fluff in addition to the buttercream. I might go for a whipped cream frosting the next time and just do it in between the layers and then on the top. Leave the sides open and go natural. Let the cake shine!

I Was Masterbaking All Day To Get Ready For The Party - Mango Cupcakes

2010-09-28T18:12:00.001-07:00

Mango cupcakes . . . so the batter is orange. Mango colored, if you will, but mostly orange looking. Do you know how you get get mango into cupcakes? You buy mango pulp. Wanna know where you get mango pulp? In the Indian grocery store. I had a little adventure and went and found a grocery store in San Francisco where they actually sell 3 different kinds of mango pulp. I, of course, got the best, the best according to the shop owner. I mean how would I know what the best mango pulp is?

Anyway, a super simple, wonderful cupcake. Moist, not too sweet, and not an overwhelming mango flavor. I like mango, but a strong flavor would have killed me. It almost felt healthy (but only almost). It had a great whipped cream frosting, and then dipped in raw flaked coconut, and then topped with fresh mango and toasted coconut. Pretty amazing, popular with the crowd, especially the little girl at the party, which means it is good for kids too! For sure a keeper, I will make this again.

It's A Bake Off, It's A Bake Off!

2010-09-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

So, my friend Mike decided to host a Bakeoff, or a Bakedown, or whatever you want to call it. Bottom line, the headliner was the Master Baker vs. the Fornicaker. Or the Master Baker vs. the Sauce. Whatever you call it, the end result was delicious. Delicious and totally insane. You are never meant to eat that amount of sugar in a single sitting.

You see those trophies on the table? Yep, those are the prizes for the baking. Pretty awesome. I went a bit over the top, and decided to contribute 5 different items, you got it, 5 baked goods. Overall, amazing goodies all around. I was a huge fan of the French Almond Apple Tart, and the Key Lime pie. The most creative and prettiest was by far the Chocolate Cake Volcano, which I am totally going to work on recreating. It was a great way to combine cake and ice cream. I'm a fan.

OK, details of what I made forthcoming.

Can't Stop Till I Get Enough - Rum Bundt Cake with Chocolate Sauce

2010-09-28T17:51:00.001-07:00

2 of 2 in the series . . . Mugdha is a huge fan of alcohol, and a huge fan of dessert, so the time came to combine them for her birthday. I liked the rum bundt a whole lot more than the Tres Leches, and it was by far the most consumed at the festivities. It was the right amount of alcohol, and the chocolate sauce was pretty amazing. The cake was light and airy, not overpowering, and the rum combined well with the different spices. Drink up!

Back on the Masterbaking Wagon - Boozy Tres Leches Cake

2010-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

So my roommate and our close mutual friends had birthdays in August, and I missed the big celebration due to stupid work travel. Anyway, when I finally made it home, it was cake baking time. Deepa is a huge fan of Tres Leches, so I made one . . . but with alcohol. I did it with cachaça. The cake in and of itself was great, and the whipped cream topping awesome too. But, probably too much cachaça. According to the roommate, it was much better the next day (less alcohol taste), so maybe I didn't let it rest long enough. I am going to try again, but less booze, and more wait time. Wish me luck!

Not That I Stopped Masterbaking - Coconut Chocolate Cream Tart

2010-09-05T10:23:00.001-07:00

Yes, yes, yes, a pause from the blog. I didn't stop baking mind you, but between a trip to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago, a trip to Kenya to go to the Turkana Cultural Festival, and then a whole lot of running around in the US, I have not had the time to post. I have made some great goodies during my hiatus, the best probably being some Butterfinger Peanut Butter Cookies. Genius.

This weekend my roommate had her family over for dinner, and I made the dessert. Her cousins picked out what I was going to make - Coconut Chocolate Cream Tart. It was pretty spectacular, the crust I got from another recipe, and it turned out pretty well, I need to roll out the dough more next time, it was a little thicker than I would have liked. But overall a success. I might make more of the coconut cream since I like coconut just that much. It was a hit with everyone, it had so many great things going on . . . whipped cream, short crust pastry, chocolate cream, coconut cream. YAY for masterbaking!

Oh Yeah, Right There - Cinnamon Banana Swirl Bread

2010-04-05T15:17:00.001-07:00

I never would have come up with this flavor combination on my own. I get the bananas with chocolate, or butterscotch, but cinnamon . . . it just didn't sound right to me. But boy oh boy did it taste right. Not much that I would change, although I might do two layers of cinnamon, and have less of it on the top. I did like the way the top formed a nice crispy crust with the cinnamon and the sugar as it baked. The bread wasn't too moist, which can sometimes be an issue. And not too sweet, like other breads can get. Perfect for tea or for a snack.

No Matter How I Try, Sometimes My Master Baking Doesn't End Happily - Chocolate Oatmeal Date Cookies

2010-04-05T15:12:00.000-07:00

This cookie should have been great. I love dates, they are such a wonderful sweet and chewy addition to anything, it should have made this cookie spectacular. Chocolate chips, cocoa, oats, dates . . . recipe for a winner. Sadly, this one fell flat. It just wasn't remarkable on any level. Not a strong chocolate flavor, not a strong date flavor (I wasn't even sure I could taste the dates, I knew they were in there). And the consistency was off. It was really dense, and not for any redeeming reason. Oh well, it was a good try, but in the end, just ok.

On A Coconut Thing . . . Crispy Salted Butterscotch Oatmeal Cookies

2010-04-05T15:05:00.000-07:00

Not pretty to look at, but boy were they yummy to eat. I really liked this cookie, crisp on the outside, but chewy on the inside. All of the flavors worked well together, the butterscotch with the oatmeal and coconut, and the salty taste on the top of the cookie, it brought the whole cookie to life. I was trying to think of what I would change . . . I might add more coconut (but that is just me, I love the taste of coconut). Really solid meaty cookie.

- Lemon Coconut Squares

2010-04-05T15:01:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a horrible photo! I didn't look at it after I took it, but this is pretty bad. Oh well, the end product was pretty darn good. So I this particular week was a bar cookie week, and the lemon coconut bars were good. I think I took them out of the oven too soon, I would have liked to have seen the coconut get a bit crispier. And they were a little loose, sort of damp. I need to cook the cookie base for a longer amount of time, and then I need to cook the entire thing for longer as well. The taste was great, the folks that sampled said it was one of the best lemon bar cookies that they had consumed ever! Tweak, tweak, tweak.

So Much Master Baking, So Little Time - Nutella Caramel Hazelnut Brownies

2010-04-05T14:18:00.000-07:00

Well, I seem to be taking my sweet time in getting these posts out there for mass consumption. Anyway, did a lot of baking the last couple of weeks, some good, some bad, and some very very messy. These Nutella Caramel Hazelnut brownies were good, not great, but good. I think the topping turned out well, but there was not enough caramel in the middle to be able to tell that there was a layer of it. And the brownie itself . . . well, I have made better brownies. So next time, I will use my favorite brownie recipe, and add more caramel, and leave the topping the same. And then, we will have SUCCESS!

My Bundts Bring All The Boys To The Yard - Lemon Almond Bundt Cake

2010-03-11T11:08:00.000-08:00

Damn right, it's better than yours! I do have fun with my blog. Anyway, the Lemon Bundt was nice, but could be improved upon. The glaze was nice, brought out the lemon flavor, but the cake needed more almond flavor. Next time I am going to add almond extract to the cake itself to pull the flavor through (there are ground almonds int he cake itself, but it needed more). I also need to make it just a bit more moist. The Chocolate Cinnamon bundt had the perfect consistency, and I need to make this one more like that one. It was good, close, and with some tweaks, could be great.

I Like Big Bundts And I Cannot Lie - Cinnamon Chocolate Bundt with Cinnamon Glaze

2010-03-11T09:51:00.000-08:00

Anyone remember My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Well, every time I hear the word bundt, in my head I hear the Greek mother saying the word 'bundt'. Cracks me up every time. I had never made a bundt before this weekend. I got the pan as a Christmas gift, and I just had to try it out. As far as cakes go, this was super easy to make. Throw all of the ingredients together, pour into bundt pan, bake, and voila! Yummy cake ready to go. Now, I am not a chocolate fan, but this cake was pretty spectacular. The cake was super moist, not too rich, and the glaze really brought out the cinnamon flavor. Absolutely would make this one again, it was quite the hit!

A Study In Brownies - Part 2 - Oreo Brownies

2010-03-11T09:40:00.001-08:00

Now this was a great brownie. I was really happy with all aspects of this brownie. Dense and moist, great chocolate flavor, a little added kick with the instant coffee bits and the Oreo pieces. I felt like the Oreo pieces paired nicely with the instant coffee, and as a matter of fact, the one brought out the flavor in the other. I personally couldn't taste the coffee, I could tell there was something different, but wouldn't have placed it as coffee. The Oreo was also not super strong, you might not have known it was in there, maybe just that there was something chocolaty and crunchy on the inside. All around a good brownie that I would for sure make again.

A Study In Brownies - Part 1 - Sweet and Salty Brownies

2010-03-11T09:35:00.000-08:00

This brownie in theory had everything you would want in a brownie - peanuts, pretzels, chopped up candy bars . . . and chocolaty goodness. I think this brownie was ok, but not spectacular. It was a little drier than I would have wanted, not as chocolaty as I would have liked, and the candy bars melted away into the cookie itself. I do like the pretzels and the peanuts in the brownie, I might incorporate them into a brownie recipe that I like better, maybe along with some dark chocolate chips. In theory, lots of goodness, in reality, just ok.

Not Every Cookie Is A Home Run - Cinnamon Snaps

2010-03-11T09:28:00.000-08:00

When you get used to knocking them out of the park, a series of average cookies / brownies / breads makes for sadness. Take this cookie for example. A perfectly acceptable cookie. It had great consistency, crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside (I am sure it was from the Crisco that I used). But it didn't have a 'wow' factor, nothing special to set it apart. I wished it had a more cinnamon-y flavor, or maybe I should have used different spices like nutmeg or allspice to add to it, but it was technically supposed to be a Cinnamon Snap. The cinnamon flavor really should have stood on its own. Maybe I needed more cinnamon in the sugar that went on top. I really wanted good things from this cookie, but alas, just average.

More Variations On Heat - Aztec Chocolate Cookie

2010-03-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

The second or third in the spicy cookie series . . . This particular cookie was not as highly rated as the Mexican Sandwich cookie, and I can see why. The other had a lot going on, with the dulce de leche and the right balance of heat. This cookie was not as complex, it was like a chocolate chip cookie with some heat added to it (chipotle pepper this time). There was no interplay between the flavors, it was like you at the chocolate chip cookie, and then on the back end you felt the heat. There wasn't anything wrong per se with the cookie, it turned out nicely, and it tasted fine, just nothing special. Oh well, we can't always have specials, somethings have to just be normal.

I Like My Master Baking Messy - Cornflake Dark Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

2010-03-10T16:09:00.000-08:00

This is not a pretty cookie. The first batch I was fully ready to give up on them and trash everything associated with this cookie. They were fragile and messy and gooey, and I thought this is the worst cookie disaster ever. But then they cooled, and I tasted one, and then I tasted some more, and I thought wow, this is a pretty darn good cookie. And surprisingly, everyone that has tasted it has said that of the 5 I made this week, this one is the best. The taste is great, I just need to find a way to make it hold together a bit better. It feels like a mess, and it does not travel well. Things to ponder.

Can I Keep On Master Baking Like This? - Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

2010-03-10T16:00:00.000-08:00

So I have made better banana breads before. And this bread, texture wise, taste wise, was really nice. But I like my banana breads to have a banana flavor, and this just wasn't there. It also didn't have a super peanut buttery flavor either. It was like the two flavors just cancelled each other out, and you were left with a nice bread with chocolate chips. I would add way more banana to this bread the next time I make it (if I ever make it again, it might not make the cut at this rate - a girl has to get picky). The turbinado sugar sprinkled on the top was a really nice touch, I might incorporate that into other bread recipes. Just a special something that gave it some fun texture as well as taste.

I Am A Hot Momma When I Master Bake - Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies with Dulce De Leche

2010-03-10T15:53:00.000-08:00

In this photo, the dulce de leche looks like a tongue to me, like the cookie is licking its lips, that is how good it tastes. And seriously, what is not to like about this cookie? Chocolate? Good. Dulce De Leche? Good. Sandwich them together? Good. Add a little spice and cinnamon to the cookie? THE BEST!

Seriously, this cookie was a huge hit. The spice (cayenne pepper) gave it just enough kick. I will admit, I bought the dulce de leche, and next time I will try to make it from scratch. The chocolate was just right for me, I wouldn't have wanted it to be one of those overwhelming chocolate flavors. It would have overpowered the spice and the dulce de leche. Mmmmmmm, spicy, like me!

Another Disappointment with Nutella - Peanut Butter Nutella Brownies

2010-03-10T15:50:00.000-08:00

I feel like the dumb girlfriend thinking that her obnoxious boyfriend is going to change. I keep going back for more even though I can almost predict what I am going to get. Another Nutella recipe, another baked good with no Nutella flavor. Don't get me wrong, as brownies go, this one was good, the peanut butter really came through, and the brownie itself had a great chocolate flavor, nice and dense, but moist. You just couldn't taste the Nutella. Now maybe the peanut butter was too much for it, or maybe I needed to use more, but it just wasn't there for me. Will I ever learn?

Oh I Am So Behind In My Posts . . . - Toasted Coconut and Macadamia Nut Bread

2010-03-10T15:45:00.003-08:00

Oh I'll tell ya, I have had the will to bake, just not the will to blog. I am the worst food photographer in the world, and when it comes to writing about food . . . I would just rather have some virtual way for everyone out there to experience the food first hand vs. trying to describe it. Enough of my complaining, on to the blog!

I have not been making breads recently, and I am not sure why. I might be a better quick bread maker than a cookie maker (hard to believe), but I find them to be more satisfying. I also like the fact that I can make them and then they go into the oven for enough time that I can get other things done around the house. This bread was hearty, with the right amount of crunch with the toasted macadamia nuts and toasted coconut. I am not a fan of the coconut milk I have been using, I wish I could get my hands on what I had in Africa, but that is highly unlikely. I did add some white chocolate chips to this one for fun, and I think it matched up nicely.

Heated up it is certainly better, and I liked it the next day more than the day I baked it.

- Chocolate Chip Gingerbread Cookie

2010-02-25T12:59:00.000-08:00

For whatever reason, I thought both of the cookies I made this week were awesome (if I do say so myself . . . I am pretty darn humble). I am not s huge ginger fan, as a matter of fact, I usually avoid it like the plague. But in this particular cookie, it was fine. I think the milk chocolate chips really offset the taste of the ginger, which might have been overwhelming without the balance. It called for fresh ginger, which gave it kind of a kick that I wasn't expecting, almost like a peppercorn. Soft cookie with a little crispness on the edges. I think it would be good warm, and with a glass of milk for dunking.

An Experiment in Sweet and Salty - Chocolate Caramel Cookies with Sea Salt

2010-02-22T14:44:00.000-08:00

A lot of people that have been sampling the cookies repeat the same thing - I like a bit of salty with my sweet. It makes sense, chocolate covered pretzels, bacon chocolate bars, honey roasted peanuts, the salt makes us better appreciate the sweet. So I have been on the look out for recipes that combine the two . . . and I came across this one.

I think once I figure out the best method for getting the salt distributed onto the cookie, this will be a winner. The cookie part itself was excellent, soft and rich, but not too overwhelming that you felt sick after one bite. I spent the weekend looking for good caramels, and I have to say, the investment really paid off. No going back to using Kraft caramels for cookies, gourmet all the way. Instead of cocoa powder, I used dark chocolate powder (also by Hershey), and I really liked the flavor it imparted to the cookie. Sprinkling the cookie with Sea Salt is a non-starter. Lots of it in one bite, none in others. I think next time I will try either using a finer grain and less of it (probably will need to roll it or flatten the cookie before sprinkling), or I might salt the caramel instead.

Is It Ok to Master Bake at Your Friend's House? - Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

2010-02-22T14:36:00.000-08:00

Every time I go to Hilmes's house, I tend to go a bit over the top when it comes to food. I just can't help myself. Two doctors who work insane hours with a little girl in the house, sometimes you just need someone there to take care of you. Enter the Master Baker. I for sure was told that I am not allowed to make more than one cake in the weekend, but I just couldn't help myself when it came to our Friday night dinner. Everyone loves to come home to cake right out of the oven, it is so yummy, makes you feel so good. So I picked a simple recipe to make, and I think it turned out nicely.

The Oatmeal Cake was nice and moist, with a not-too-sweet taste to it. Very simple, maybe the next time I will make it a 'spice' cake, and add some cinnamon or nutmeg to it. But not too rich, and a great texture. The frosting was good, I should have left it in the oven for a bit longer in order to allow the coconut to brown a bit more, but all in all, it was a great cake. Kind of like a big praline on the top with the pecans and the brown sugar. For not wanting to have 2 cakes in a weekend, we managed to polish this one off before we ate the Angel Food cake on Sunday.

A Weekend in Nashville - Angel Food Cake (for my little angel)

2010-02-22T14:25:00.001-08:00

I am pretty sure that my best friend Melissa thinks I am crazy . . . how can baking be relaxing? Well, when you work in the field that I work in (IT Consulting), your days are filled with hours upon hours on end of sitting in front of a computer, working on things that you know make no difference in the grand scheme of life. Moreover, nothing you do exists in the 'real' world, it is all virtual. So having the chance to create, to do something that always makes others happy, well, it makes me feel good. And it is also super relaxing. Having to get up for a 5:30am flight, not relaxing. Baking cookies before the big flight, super relaxing.

Anyway, spent the weekend in Nashville for a friend's baby shower (congrats Bonnie!), and while I was there, decided to lend a hand in the kitchen, making cakes and cookies for my buddies. Jeff (Melissa's husband) put in a special request for this - homemade Angel Food cake with Chocolate Whipped Cream frosting (not pictured). I had never made an Angel Food cake, but now that I have, I will never buy one at the store again. It was very simple to make, and tastes so amazing in comparison, so fresh. And I like that I can play around with the flavorings, too cool. The chocolate frosting was also nice, although I am a fruit girl when it comes to my angel food cake. Oh well, nice change of pace.

This little cutie is my god-daughter, and I think she is just about the cutest kid in the world. look at that tongue hanging out there! She thinks she is about 8 feet tall, totally fearless (hmmmmm, wonder where she gets that from?). We took her to the playground and she just loved crawling and walking around and having us follow her. A special favorite was the swing . . . howled with delight.

Sometimes Simple Master Baking Is The Best - Chewy Graham Cracker Butterscotch Cookie

2010-02-16T11:57:00.000-08:00

I love butterscotch, it is maybe my most favorite flavor in a cookie. Or in any sweet . . . go out for ice cream, I want my sundae made with Hot Butterscotch. The butterscotch candies are wonderful, let's face it, butterscotch makes everything better. Alas, poor butterscotch, you lose out to chocolate and peanut butter all the time, hell, even caramel kicks your butt. But not here, not in my kitchen. You reign supreme. I love the way you make things taste better. Like these lovely cookies, made with mostly pulverized graham crackers than flour. Not too sweet, just the right amount of thickness, chewy on the inside, crispy on the outside. Could become a regular in the rotation . . .

Finally, a Nutella Cookie I Can Stand Behind - Nutella Peanut Butter Pillows

2010-02-16T11:39:00.000-08:00

So most of my Nutella cookie adventures have ended up in disaster. Ok, maybe not disaster, but I always ended up feeling like I made this whole investment in a cookie that was supposed to have a Nutella flavor, and it never did. Well, finally, finally I found a recipe where the Nutella flavor really stands out. Not overwhelming, not overpowering, but you know there is a glob of Nutella in that cookie.

Anyway, a fun cookie to make. And to eat! It is a peanut butter cookie on the outside (with Almond flavoring added for good measure), and then you flatten out the cookie, add in a glob of a Nutella mixture, and then roll it into a ball and coat it with peanuts, cinnamon, and sugar. I added in extra Nutella because the mixture was mixed with a bit of peanut butter, and you just couldn't taste it strongly enough. So I probably doubled the amount of Nutella (and extra powdered sugar to make it less sticky), and voila! Magical, wonderful, Nutella-y goodness. I really liked how the Nutella and the peanut butter went together. A excellent combo.

Master Baking Gets Freaky - Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bacon Cookies

2010-02-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Good old Steve . . . always with the odd special request. Last week that brought us the Jagerdoodle (which I think when I open my bakery, we'll do a whole line of Morning After Hangover Cookies . . . Jagerdoodles, Red Bull, Whisky), and this week, the request was for bacon. I have experimented with bacon in my sweets . . . the bacon cheesecake was a huge hit, so I figured why not. The cookie by itself was nice, great consistency, just the right amount of chewyness, all sorts of goodness with the white and semi-sweet chocolate chips. And if I didn't advertise it as a bacon cookie, you wouldn't immediately know it was bacon. You'd know something was different . . . salty, chewy bits, but bacon? Yep, it's in there. Not sure . . . would you want it to taste more bacon-y? Use the bacon fat instead of the butter? Bigger chunks of bacon? Let me know.

Happy Valentines Day with Master Baking Flair - Hummingbird Cake

2010-02-16T11:26:00.000-08:00

I cooked dinner for some friends this year for Valentine's Day, those of us without that special man in our lives, and we had a really good time. Pasta, fish, wine, and of course, dessert. Who could ask for more? I made this Hummingbird Cake as a follow up to the Carrot Cake I did a couple of weeks ago . . . a friend of mine in Chicago had made one for her husband's birthday, and I really liked it, so I decided to take a swing at it myself.

Where does the name come from? I was asked this, and of course I had no response. Here is what I got from the Martha Stewart website - "Some say this Southern layer cake earned its name because each otherworldly bite makes you hum with delight. Another theory is that it's as sweet as the sugared water used to attract its hovering namesake."

Well, this cake certainly made me sing. I still need to work on my frosting techniques (no comments here from the peanut gallery), I could have gone thicker in the middle layer and then a bit thinner on the outer layer. The cake was super moist, and I liked the flavor. It could have been bolder, I am not sure how exactly, but there was something that just didn't pack enough punch for me. There was a banana bread flavor, but not overwhelming for folks that don't like bananas. Maybe it was the spices, it called for cinnamon, I might add something else (nutmeg perhaps) the next time I make it.

Big, Juicy Mangos . . . If That Isn't Enough to Get You to Read On, Nothing Is - Fresh Mango Bread (Food Porn)

2010-02-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

After living in Africa for 18 months, and then spending my fair share of time in Latin America, you'd think I would like mangos. For whatever reason, I have never really developed a taste for them. They are slimy, so for sure I have a texture thing against them. But the taste really doesn't do much for me. I have tried and tried, but nothin' doin'. I will however be a sport and bake them into goodies (i.e. Fresh Mango Bread) when I get the request.

This bread was ok. It is a solid, 'meaty' bread, on the dry side, but not 'dry', if that makes any sense. The taste was fine, you couldn't really taste the mangos (or mangoes, apparently either spelling is correct), which probably is not a good thing for a mango bread. The spices were nice, the raisins, well, raisins are not my cup of tea anyway, so they were ok. I guess all in all I wasn't overly impressed, and it will not likely make the rotation any time soon.

I Should Spend More Time Sleeping vs. Master Baking - Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Coconut Cookies

2010-02-07T21:26:00.000-08:00

I surf the net quite a bit looking for those perfect cookie recipes. I certainly have had my fair share of duds, but this cookie, well, it was maybe one of the best cookies I have ever had. It has everything you would want in a cookie - chocolate chips (minis no less!), coconut (which I increased over the original recipe, I really like coconut), almonds, oats . . . it sort of tasted like an almond joy in cookie form. Crispy on the edges, soft in the center. And right out of the oven, it was like heaven in a little round cookie. I will certainly be making this a regular when I open up the bakery. It will sell like . . . well, like a really popular cookie (you thought I was going to say hotcakes, but I didn't).

Alcohol Makes Master Baking Lots of Fun - Jagerdoodles

2010-02-07T21:06:00.000-08:00

So I think my photographs are getting a tad bit better. I am just not as into the pretty photos as I am the food, but it is nice when the pics are half way decent. My friend Steve (aka Ham Jambo, aka Steve-o) my upstairs neighbor with ADP when I was living in Kenya loves my baking (specifically the Zucchini Bread). A couple of weeks ago I asked him for ingredients he would like to see in a cookie, and one of them was Jagermeister and anise. Now, I am not the biggest fan of either one of those flavors, but for good old Steve-o, why not?

After searching high and low for something that looked right, I found a site that gave me enough ideas to do this on my own. I took my favorite Snickerdoodle cookie, and substituted Jager for the vanilla, and anise for the cinnamon. I ended up having to add like 8 teaspoons of Jager in order for the flavor to come thru, but when it did, it was subtle enough to not overwhelm the senses. The Snickerdoodle didn't end up as flat as I would have liked, I assume it was due to the amount of additional wet ingredients, so I will have to work on that for next time. All in all, good for a first try at this one.

I Think I Am Going to Be Sick From All This Master Baking - Carrot Cake

2010-02-07T20:53:00.001-08:00

I made a carrot cake like . . . 8 months ago for a friend's birthday that was very similar to this recipe. The last recipe I did was a conglomeration of 3 different recipes that I had, picking the best from each of them. This one had almost everything in a single recipe, just a couple of minor tweaks and it was perfect.

I really liked this cake. I have no idea what I did differently between this cake and the Coconut Cake, but the layers on this one were perfectly flat straight out of the oven. I am going to have to figure out what the difference was. The frosting was perfect, not too sweet, but not a strong cream cheese flavor either. Moist, densy, and full of carrot-y goodness. And the nuts in it really gave it a texture contrast. Yum!

Super Bowl in San Francisco - Geaux Cakes! - Coconut Cake with Raspberry Jam

2010-02-07T20:35:00.000-08:00

So, looks like a giant snowball . . . food photographer I am not. This was my first Super Bowl in 2 years, I missed the last one while I was living in Nairobi. I really do love football, and the excuse to eat food that is really bad for you, like Buffalo Chicken Wing Dip and Chili with Cheese and Sour Cream, Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, and cake. Oh, the cake. I am definitely crazy, as I made 2 cakes for, oh, let's say 8 people. Like a quarter of a cake per person. To say there were leftovers is an understatement.

This is one of two cakes, the Coconut Cake with Raspberry Jam. It was pretty spectacular, although I certainly learned some lessons with this one. I am not a cake maker, I lack that creativity when it comes to decoration and whatnot. And on this one, I made 3 layers, cut them in half, and then alternated jam between each layer before coating the entire thing in frosting. So, rule number 1 - you cannot put the uncut cake on its side and try to cut it in half. That is a great way to get it to break, which I did, and then mended it with frosting. Rule number 2 - make the layers even and flat so you don't end up with a big dome when you are done stacking the layers. It is a lot harder to frost that way, and the jam in the middle tends to run out when you do it that way.

All in all, taste-wise it was pretty darn good. It tasted like real coconut, which I'd attribute to the coconut milk and the back of shredded coconut I put in the cake batter itself. It went so nicely with the raspberry jam, awesome flavor combo. Next time I might more frosting so I could alternate the layers between frosting and jam, because all 5 layers of jam was maybe a tad bit too much.

Cake in front of the new city. Really liking my life in San Francisco. Thanks Mike for an AWESOME party, and for taking this great photo, capturing my creation with my new hometown.

I Can Make A Mean Loaf of Bread - Maple Sweet Potato Bread

2010-02-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

I think I am a much better bread maker than anything else. That is not to say that my other goodies aren't fantastic, but I just tend to knock them out of the park when in bread form. Case in point - the Maple Sweet Potato Bread. It was like Thanksgiving in bread form. Of course my friend Mike was in a rush, so it didn't have time to perfectly set, but it was out of this world. I used a new kind of sugar - palm sugar. Not as sweet as cane sugar, but added a flavor to the bread that is hard to describe. And the ends and the sides with all of the crispy crust against the moist bread, heaven.

Why Stop When It Feels So Right - Nutella Hazelnut Cookies

2010-02-01T11:25:00.001-08:00

I have been burned by the Nutella cookie before. It seems like such a fantastic idea - yummy Nutella in cookie form. Yet the two times I have tried it before, the Nutella I could taste in the batter did not come thru in the cookie. So I hedged my bets this time, added more than the recipe called for, and thought this was it. I was going to have success. Sadly, while a good cookie, it wasn't great. It made a crispy cookie (and I am not a huge fan of the crispy cookie), which was pretty to look at, but just not inspiring in the taste category. I might give up on getting Nutella in my cookies and go for it in breads or cupcakes. I am tired of the disappointment.

I Think Master Baking Helps My Migraines - Oatmeal Toffee Cookies (with yummy Dried Cherries - yeah, I had to add it)

2010-02-01T11:16:00.000-08:00

This is maybe the worst picture of a cookie I have taken yet, which is such a bummer since I think this one was my favorite. So the taste of this cookie was FANTASTIC. The mix of dried cherries, bittersweet chocolate, oats, and toffee was pure genius. The whole thing came together really nicely. The preparation I had to modify half way thru, and I think there are things I would do differently. It had me roll these bad boys into logs about 1in thick (no comments!), and then cut them. That totally didn't work. Next time, I will make them in 1 tablespoon portions, and I will for sure refrigerate the dough more before I bake it. They spread a whole lot more than I was anticipating. But taste cannot be beat!

Nothin' Says Happy Birthday Like Master Baking - White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Chipsters

2010-02-01T11:06:00.001-08:00

I arrived in San Francisco just about a week ago, just in time to celebrate my friend Mike's Birthday. Now of course I felt badly as I didn't even get him a gift. And normally, my backup when there is no gift is to bake, but since I hadn't finished unpacking . . . I am such a bad friend. So, finally settled into my brand new apartment with my brand new kitchen, I set about baking up a storm.

First of all - can I just say how AWESOME the new kitchen is? Convection oven, loads of counter space, huge fridge . . . I was smiling all day. So this is the last cookie that I baked for Mike - the White Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Chipster. It is a little cookie, but I liked the texture, and turned out to be a crowd fave at the apartment Sunday night. Not sure what I would do differently, it was pretty well balanced.

Thanks David . . . So Many Posts! - Peanut Butter Coconut Chipsters

2010-01-19T11:55:00.001-08:00

I asked my friend David Knowles for feedback on my blog, and the first thing he says is, "I like it, but it could be better. Basically you need to make more of a "story" and write more about each piece. you need to think about how they can be "linkable" so that when you refer back to PB&J cookie or whatever in the future, it is its own set piece - a complete story." Check. So now, seperate entries (even though I feel like being lazy, and yes, I knew this before I started but figured since I was not posting recipes, it wasn't necessary), and a story.

This cookie turned out to be my least favorite, at least from a making it stand point. I had a long day on Monday, and didn't much feel in the mood to bake. I am an emotional baker, if I am happy, good cookies, if I am distracted / sad / upset, bad cookies. In addition, these cookies seemed to have something in the recipe off. Not enough coconut in it for me to be able to taste it over the chocolate and the peanut butter. And super dry. I had to add an extra half of a stick of butter and an egg to make the dough come together and spread. Lesson learned. Taste is ok, but nothing to knock your socks off. I would give it 3 stars on a 5 star scale (5 being the highest).

Gonna Go Blind from All This Master Baking - Chocolate Chip Pretzel Bars

2010-01-19T11:53:00.000-08:00

I had made these as cookies from a different recipe some time in December, but clearly I didn't have my act together enough to get them out and on my blog. I like the bar version much better, it had more aesthetic appeal, they are easier to eat, the cookie dough browned really nicely. I dig the whole salty / sweet combo, it does it for me. I was thinking that next time I might try it with peanuts in addition to the pretzels, but that might be overkill. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

I Was Master Baking All Weekend! - Snickerdoodle Blondies

2010-01-19T11:52:00.001-08:00

I love Snickerdoodles, I dig on the cinnamon goodness with the sugar cookie in a major way, so when I came across this recipe, I thought it would be fun to try it in bar form. To me, it didn't quite taste like a purist snickerdoodle, but it was certainly yummy. It had more body and more complexity in the flavors. Probably due to the addition of the nutmeg and the cinnamon to the actual cookie dough, as well as the brown sugar. I wouldn't call it a snickerdoodle, I'll need to come up with a new name, but whatever you call it, it makes the mmmmmmm sound when you eat it. 4 out of 5 stars.

Baking for the Baby - Chocolate Surprise Cookies

2010-01-19T11:51:00.000-08:00

My friend Deb is having a baby, which is what instigated this baking extravaganza this past weekend. I gave her a list of 12 or so cookies and bars to choose from, and these are the ones that got baked. Amongst them, this delectible cookie - a great soft chocolate cookie with a Rolo center, dipped in sugar and nuts, and drizzled with white chocolate. They turned out perfectly, I mean, as perfectly as they could. I don't think I would change anything about this recipe. 5 out of 5 stars. (A special shout out to my friend Jay Meyer who I believe made a similar cookie while we were working at Walgreens in 2006 or 2007)

More Shenanigans from the Weekend - Cinnamon Toffee Crunch Cookies

2010-01-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

Boy oh boy did this recipe make a ton of cookies! It was easily 5 dozen, easily. Nice crunch to the texture, I decided to roll these bad boys in cinnamon sugar to give them some extra goodness on the outside. More sugar, that's what cookies need. So randomly, I was listening to NPR over the weekend to a show called The Splendid Table and they asked the question: How many pounds of sugar does the average American consume in a year (fruits, alcohol, etc. all included)? The answer killed me. 140 pounds. That is like making a sugar person of myself, and then eating it slowly over the course of a year. No wonder my team members at Walgreens called me the diabetes fairy! 4 out of 5 stars.

Busy Weekend Baking Adventure - S'more Cookie Bars

2010-01-19T11:48:00.000-08:00

I really had no idea how this cookie / bar was going to turn out. It was strange, you made this graham cracker cookie dough, press it into the bottom, then put down a layer of chocolate (hershey bar), and then an entire jar of Marshmallow Fluff, and then another layer of craham cracker dough. It ended up pretty darn amazing. Not exactly a S'more, but pretty darn close. And it looks as yummy as it tastes! 4.5 out of 5 stars.

British Holidays (not quite Boxing Day)

2010-01-04T15:06:00.000-08:00

So my dear friend Fitz missed out on the holidays this year (he works for a pub in Phoenix, and they were open on Christmas Eve AND Christmas Day, and Boxing Day - whatever that is). I was so sad for him that I dedicated myself to making everything his heart desired, which meant Treacle Tart, Victoria Sponge, Custard Tart, and Bakewell Tart. I feel like British desserts are all the same, a lot of sugar and butter. But they were a big hit for the most part. Not the world's greatest pictures, but here goes.

Treacle Tart - I have now made this twice, and this time I got the crust right, but the inside apparently didn't 'taste' like a treacle tart (too much lemon). So I need to combine the inside from the original recipe with the outside of this recipe, and I will have a hit on my hands.

Victoria Sponge - So this looked beautiful, but the cake was too dry. I think that it was baked at too high of a temperature and for far too long. Next time I need to take it from 375 degrees to 350 degrees, and go for 25 minutes vs. 35 minutes.

Bakewell Tart - Yummy, as far as the taste, but Fitz felt that it needed more jam, which I will add the next time I try this one. Got the tart shell spot on. Made me feel good about me. I think the only other thing to change would maybe be to toast the almonds a bit more before I put them on top.

Custard Tart - By far the favorite at the shindig. The crust really was amazing, and the custard turned out perfectly. Fitz felt there was too much nutmeg on top (which I will have to take his word on, since I have absolutely no point of reference).

Christmas Holiday - 2009

2009-12-25T10:07:00.000-08:00

OK, so the elves went crazy this year, and I made way too many goodies for Christmas Eve. I just can't help myself when it comes to baking, more is always better. So, here is what we had:

Almond Tart - I got the taste spot on, but the crust for this was way too thick and didn't turn out quite like I would have liked. Next time I will try it with a different crust recipe. Looks great though.

Almond Cookies with Raspberry Jam - I liked these but a bit dry. The flavor was good for sure. Original recipe called for cherries, but I like jam better for sure.

Chocolate Chip Peppermint Cookies - So if you are a fan of the thin, crispy chocolate chip cookie, this one is for you. I substituted dark chocolate and mint chips vs. plain old chocolate chips, and I liked the flavor.

PB&J Thumbprints - I am a big fan of the peanut butter cookie, and this one was nice and moist. It sort of tasted like a PB&J sandwich, and better yet, none of that bread to get in the way of the flavor. I had issues getting the cookie to turn out with a dent in the middle, I basically had to take them out of the oven a bit raw and then mush them around.

Chocolate Mexican Cookies - By far the best cookies of the season. Everyone that has tried these likes these, well, everyone that likes cinnamon. If you are not a fan, then you might not like these so much. Decided to modify the recipe a bit and rolled them in sugar. Next time I might add an extra dash of chili powder to take the spice up a bit.

Gingerbread Cookies - I have never, ever made gingerbread cookies. I know, crazy. Anyway, these were supposed to be chewy, but these were crispy, and not due to the baking. I even tried cutting 3 minutes off the bake time, and they still ended up crispy. The taste was fine, don't mind the decorations, that will never be my job when I open up a bakery.

Tiramisu Eggnog Triffle - This was AMAZING. The custard turned out really well, the flavors blended nicely and it was light and tasty. You for sure have to be a fan of tiramisu, otherwise you won't like this no matter how fantastic it tastes.

Welcome to Masterbaking!

2009-12-21T12:57:00.000-08:00

Well, time to put my money where my mouth is. Ok, so I am not ready yet to commit to quitting my job to start a bakery or anything like that, but I need to at least know what people think of the food I bake for them. So this is the jumping off point. I am going to bake and bake and bake, and you, my friends and family, will come out here and post the honest truth about what I have made, what you like, what you don't like, what you would change. And rate it (1-5, with 5 being the best).